What makes you judge a book by its cover (or blurb)?

You know what they say: "Don't judge a book by its cover." But we frequently do it anyway... even if it's only a knee-jerk reaction, and we can force ourselves to overcome it. It might also be that we judge a book by its blurb, which might be more appropriate (since a blurb gives you some idea what it's about). But it can't tell you everything, after all.

What sort of things make YOU decide either to pick up a book immediately, or never get beyond its blurb?

Note: Do be sure to provide reasons and examples, so this doesn't turn into a raw complaining topic.

I was inspired to make this topic by a book I saw at the library recently. Its cover immediately caught my eye: It was very minimalist, with a very simple, pencil-sketch style illustration on the cover, maybe three colors, and it had washed-out colors to make it "feel" old. It was really well designed, which intrigued me. Simple-but-illustrative colors like that really hook me, and I picked it up to check out the blurb.

I know I'll never read it past the blurb, because literally the first sentence was about kids suffering beneath an abusive, alcoholic father. If a book sells itself on abusive alcoholic parents, I know it isn't for me. I don't like alcoholism-as-plot-device because, to me, it feels "cheap." It inserts drama into a situation, but it's somewhat lazy and doesn't necessarily ask a lot on the character development front. It's kind of like using an Ancient Prophecy in a fantasy work—sure, it'll get your plot going, but it's not especially creative. There are more interesting ways to do abusive parents.

I think one of my favorite instances of abusive parents in fiction (...that is a really bizarre sentence) was a case where the parents in question were part of a cult compound, and were abusive by virtue of having way too many children (at the mandate of the cult leader) and by refusing to take them to see doctors or anything like that (again because of the leader). They were more criminally negligent. It was unique and attention-grabbing (and the cult stuff provided good background plot).

I will not pick up a book with a naked or near-naked man or woman on the cover, and I tend to avoid books with blood or gore on the cover. Pretty much anything else goes, though (especially if the cover has several different colors on it.)

nothing...I read the summery for every book I touch

I tend to assume that if the cover is somewhat eye-catching, the book may be as well. An uncreative cover usually means that I never end up picking it up. So covers that look like a Harry dresden cover, an old type SF cover with lasers and bright colors, and most fantasy novels barely merit a glance to my eyes.

The Name Of The Wind. No, chiseled shirtless ginger fabio, i will not be buying you... The blurb also makes it sound like a really bad book. "In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin." I don't care who says it is a good book (so don't bother, people), based on the cover and the blurb, i'm never reading it.

Same here, regarding naked (wo)man. But there's also the romantic couple hugging/kissing on the cover. I just can't bring myself to touch these sort of books, because I'd never been much of a romanticist nor do I have the guts to be reading it on public. Not to mention they generally look ugly to me.

And although it's ubiquitous, I really wish books would stop identifying themselves with the "tagline" "A novel." Naaaw, really? I suppose if you thought you might be mistaken for nonfiction of some sort, but there's got to be a better way than obviousness.

edited 19th Oct '11 5:51:49 PM by FreezairForALimitedTime

I am reminded of the Dresden Files. I did not get into the series until it was re-released with new cover art.

I think, ultimately, humans are visual creatures. We have evolved (or were designed, whatever your theology) with sight has a primary sense. So when we see something that we do not find astetically pleasing, we are turned off by it.

As for blurbs. I review ebooks for a review site as a hobby, mostly romance. I read a lot of blurbs. Some are good, some are bad, alot do not truly reflect what is between the covers.

edited 19th Oct '11 6:06:06 PM by TheEmeraldDragon

That is related to the trend of naming fiction books things that sound like non-fiction books. "The Art of Fielding: A Novel." "Comedy in a Minor Key: A Novel." "Introduction to Bridge: A Novel." These just scream "wannabe serious contemporary literature."

If the last sentence of the blurb is about love, then it's a romance even if not explicitly packaged as such, so no thanks. Similarly, if there's a romantic embrace on the cover, except that this sometimes denotes a pioneer epic or some similarly dull work of historical fiction.

If it focuses on themes of humanity, they had better be interesting themes, like revenge and the masochistic pursuit of knowledge, not, say, schmaltzy family reconciliation. Either way, the publisher thinks the book is High Art, so it predisposes me against it.

Baen covers, I've grown accustomed to. But any other company that puts out a cover where the people look like they were just caught in flagrante delicto with Frank Frazetta... yeah, I know there's a good chance that the story will have absolutely nothing to do with the cover, but eh, I flinch anyway. (Oddly, cover illustrations that were obviously designed on an acid trip make me more likely to read the book.)

Covers that look like they were made by a design student fresh out of college are a big sell. These books tend to be stuffed with quirky, counterintuitive facts, and I'm a sucker for those.

If a book has a cover that's terrible, I'll look for the e-book instead. I dont think a cover has ever gotten me interested in a book, because i dont really browse. Usually i know what i'm getting before i ever get near the bookstore.

On a related note, I like covers that spoof other cover styles. Like, it appears to be your usual Chainmail Bikini cover, but then you see said chick is talking into her cellphone or something and the barbarian next to her is reading a script or something.

There's a series of short stories called "Chicks 'n' Chainmail" (yeah, pretty much exactly what it sounds like) with some hilariously (intentionally) trashy covers. I see I was accidentally cribbing my example from one, sort of! Oh well.

edited 20th Oct '11 11:57:01 AM by FreezairForALimitedTime

An epic one is the fake "alternate" cover for John Hodgman's The Areas of My Expertise. It really is something to behold, and the book itself should be required reading for the whole world.

edited 20th Oct '11 12:08:48 PM by MrShine

I'm a sucker for a book with monsters on the cover.

Like one of the posters above, if the blurb ends in "...and love" I will avoid it. Even if it sounds awesome like... "She will ride Tyrannosaurs mounted with laser cannons, battle the meta-octopus of Galabanoosh, and discover the secrets of the Necrodancers of Chicago...and love." No! No "and love"! "And love" is usually written so badly that unless it is with the meta-octopus it has no place being important enough to be part of that blurb!

edited 20th Oct '11 7:16:05 PM by Bur

When the cover has something interesting or eye-catching, such as the unusual title (like for example 'Bio-Strike' or many horror books) or the cover has very pretty aesethetic designs or summary (such as Christopher Pike's 'The Immortal' book). If it contains many sexual scenes/kissing, or large amounts of blood or scary creatures, I usually avoid it. High Fantasy scenes also do it for me...

edited 20th Oct '11 7:23:12 PM by sabrina_diamond

I would add: any book with covers of models/ photos of real people on the cover (and they arent biographies). Take for example the books of Octavia Butler. She is one of the greatest science fiction writers ever, but all her novel covers have photos of concerned-looking young african american women. If I didn't know better, I would think this book holds absolutely no interest for me.

I will automatically pick up books that at least look like they have old-fashioned engraved covers◊.

Things that can make me pick up a book:

Space battles. Lasers. Soldiers fighting. Tanks blasting things. Sword battles. Magic spells.

Things that ensure I will likely never pick it up.

Two people embracing. One character just looking forlorn off into the distance.

American SF and fantasy covers are nearly all horrible. For example, the Dresden Files paperbacks. I think the UK edition is vastly superior to the US edition. Sadly, it looks like someone at Orbit disagrees with me and everything from Changes onwards has the US covers. Looks like I'll be buying the ebooks from now on, so I don't have to look at them.

There's just something ... cheap about them - bad art, trashy typefaces, overly-dramatic blurbs. Ugh. If I'd first seen the US cover of Storm Front instead of the UK one, I likely wouldn't have even picked it up.

Covers with half naked men/women usually repel me. And I know this sounds horrible, but whenever the book takes place in like Australia (and is written by an Australian author) or something I tend to put it down because usually I can't understand the slang and it frustrates me. Also, whenever it mentions stuff about God. I am a Christian, but usually books about people finding God are really boring and predictable. Books about poor countries by rich white authors usually irritate me because they are usually quite condescending and sometimes inaccurate.

I'm an absolute sucker for this.

I'm Australian and I do this.

edited 22nd Oct '11 3:20:40 PM by MadassAlex

Leather covers make me think "Ooh, shiny classic."

Leatherbound books always catch my eye, likewise tattered old paperbacks. I love some of the Narm-charmy goodness you find lurking behind a musty smelling, cartoonish front cover.

In terms of what is actually depicted on the cover, a picture of a woman staring wistfully out over fields is a major turn-off, likewise a black cover with a pale, buxom woman in leathers and a title written in blood red letters. If I see either of those I feel as though I've already read (and disliked) the book without even touching it. I mean, if your cover is a hideous cliche of a genre I loathe all on its own, why would I subject myself to the entire book?

YA covers with the black-red-white color scheme in particular. Which is most of them these days. One reason Incarceron caught my eye the first time around was because of how much the cover stood out.